I want emails from Fodor's Travel with travel information and promotions. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. After registering, I can manage my newsletter subscriptions by visiting my Profile Settings page.

How we use your email

Fodor's may use your email address to send you relevant information on site updates, account changes, and offers. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full Privacy Policy.

Los Cabos-First time. Oh, What To Do?

Hello everyone! As you may have noticed, we have a brand new Photo Contests forum! This forum will contain contests we intend to run on a monthly basis. There are sticky threads for the rules information, and an easy guide for how to post photos to the contest thread (and to all Fodor’s forums) -- so feel free to stop by, take a look, and submit your own photos!

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the forum, and to the current month’s CONTEST THREAD for updates when new photos are added! Viewing our community’s great travel photos is a nice way to remember what it was like when we could all jump on a plane, and to anticipate when we can do so again.

June’s contest is Travel Photos. A nice big category to get us started. To enter, just go to the CONTEST THREAD and post a travel photo that you took. That’s it! There will be a “like” button on each post, and whoever’s photo gets the most “likes” that month gets a Fodor’s book of their choice, plus some nifty stuff with the Fodor’s logo on it. For legal reasons, you do need a US mailing address to be eligible to win, but anyone is welcome to post in the thread. Be sure to read the rules sticky for the other legal ins and outs.

Let’s get clicking!

Los Cabos-First time. Oh, What To Do?

Message: We are scheduled to stay at the Bahia Condos in Cabos over Christmas/New Years. I know it's not an "upscale" place, but it is our first time down and was the best we could afford considering the time of year. Any tips on where to go, what to do, places to eat? We will be traveling with our 22 year old son, and we love to snorkel, surf, fish and shop. Best beaches for surfing, lounging and snorkeling close by? What are some good web sites that show beaches and activities at each? We are into "cost-effectiveness" of our $$, so would not want to do things that are outrageously expensive. Thanks so much!!

Cabo and cost concious make another oxymoron. Expect to pay more than you would back home.

If you condo has a kitchen you may want to do meals at home. Be Careful of drinks with ice, people are starting to report of stomach problems, the beach you are near is adjacent to the Marina, keep in mind it is overun with beach vendors, the town makes money selling licences, so hence they are making them in short supplies, Best to go to Chileano Beach or Maria, though some are not so clean.

Keep in mind Cabos sewage treatment in antiquated to say the most, overrun comes up through the city grates hence some bad smells around town, wonder if it causes that Cabo cough/flu I have picked up in the winter, the dust vermin!

Pollo chichen and a few small places offered cheap eats, looks for specials, Medano beach is not cheap, never did like the quality of food , couldn't understand why people raved about it.

Worst problem down there are corrupt cops ripping off tourists at the ATM, pulling stunts like mega fines for small traffic violations, pick pocketing and set up by the local hookers, latest report in the local rag was some guy getting hit on by a TV right down by squid, his companions found it funny, later he realized she/he lifted his wallet. The pimps sometimes set it up,punch out a guy, the hookers run in to help the victim and lift the wallet, take care.

The hookers and strippers work the tourist bars after hours, Cabo is full of them.

Do a google on timeshare fraud Mexico , read the latest in the Timeshare Beat, fraud is one the rise, trust no one and believe no one.

BCarvalho, do not listen to CaptMike he is one of the biggest Bajumbugs on this site, everytime someone mentions CSL he says the same things, granted there might be some truth to what he says there have been far too many people that I have come across who have not experienced his experience in Cabo (both online and in person). I would suggest checking some of the sites recommend by others and take CaptMike's advice with a huge grain of salt.
Have fun (minus the sarcasm).

Bruin there is truth to what Capt. Mike is posting. You cannot deny the facts, the sewage treatment system they have is old and at times does not handle the volume, many people in the surrounding community are not hooked up the sewers.

Cabo is known for the night life, prostitution, girly bar and street prostitution. Drugs are abundant in Cabo. The people that live there are more than aware of real crime statistics and the dirty cops. There us an element of riff raff gringos {Beach Bums} that "hang out" there and they can only survive by feeding off the unlucky tourist.

Land Scams and squatting are major problems for people who want to invest and retire there, along with the steep prices of food, gas, electricity {air conditioning}.

I was stating realty , what you see is what you get. The town is a dustbin, I mean a dustbin, the times I was there I got this bad cough, locals know it as the Cabo flu, one person I knew had to go home early the dust created an infection in his breathing tubes.

Medano Beach, it is overrun with Beach Vendors, a certain branch of government makes a money selling the licenses to the People who run the Beach Vendors thus there is an ongoing increasing supply.

This is how it works , the people who run show bring in these poor people from other parts of Mexico and give them the goods to sell to you, they make a pittance off each item they sell and the rest goes to the big guy. Mexico has many poor and umemployed, therefore an easy supply of cheap labor for the big guy, and you get a resort like Cabo where they overun the tourist beaches.

They suggest a polite "No", but it is No, No, No, No, No , No, No, No, No all day long, it is relentless.

The street people and drug dealers have taken up residence in that unfinished building right downtown on the Marina, there is hooking and drugging right in front of the tacky tourist bars.

This place is downtown Tijuana with a Beach.

There have been reports of parts of the cape where establishments have dumped the raw stuff right out in the ocean.
Think twice about where you swim.

even if this is completely "true" tell me one place where tourism is established (i.e. you don't have to take a dirt road to get to a secluded beach like "Boca del Cielo") where you don't see high prices, crooked cops, drugs, poor sewage systems and all of the other "stereotypes" Mexico is known for.

Returned from my first trip to Cabo San Lucas 3 weeks ago. From what I had read, I was expecting the worst, but was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed every minute of my time there. Some areas are a dustbin, I admit, due to unpaved roads off some of the side streets, but I didn't think it was a big deal. I was there for 10 days, didn't encounter sewer smells, corrupt police, or any other problems. There are street vendors but not nearly as many as I had expected.

Thanks for the tips folks. More than I expected. I will do my research and be careful. We aren't night time party folks, so floozies and pimps, et al, shouldn't too much of a worry. I will take you up Mexico John on the websites. I have been to several, but most just want money..kinda like being there, I suppose. Anybody have tips on which guide books are the tops for Cabos?? Thanks so much.

I just returned from 5 days in Cabo. We had a great time and found it to be very clean (people were actually sweeping the dust off the streets!) We did not encounter any corrupt people. Everyone was extremely helpful and friendly. I don't know where your hotel is, but if it is on the corridor you may consider renting a car (the cab ride is $30 to Cabo San Lucas). There are many beautiful beaches on the corridor (check a book to find out which ones are safe to swin in!). The best snorkelling is in Punto Cabo. This is the only living reef in Cabo. Tour companies have trips from Cabo San Lucas for about $100/day. However, we drove ourselves and took our own snorkeling equipment. We rented a kayak for about $20. Be sure to bring or rent a wet-suit as the water will be very cold that time of year. We did not do any fishing but we went diving in the bay. Saw some beautiful fish.

You can get wonderful, cheap, breakfasts and lunches at a number of taco stands (most guidebooks list the area). For a treat, eat at Georgio II on the corridor at sunset. You will get a gorgeous view of the arch at los cabos. You can also just get drinks on the deck and enjoy the same view.
I recommend that you also visit San Jose del Cabo. It is less touristy. and has a great restaurant next to the fish market (?El Pescador). Ask a local how to find it. It has excellent food and great prices.

There are a number of travel books about Los Cabos available at the library. I recommend checking these out and taking them with you!

We've been going to Cabo every year for 15 years and have never had a problem...sounds like the other negative people on here either got themselves into trouble or have no business leaving their trouble free countries...I've never heard of a country without crime...The USA is one of the worst...I think anyone going to PV is asking for trouble with the cartels based close by...If you can't stand up to the time share people, you've got no business going to a town built on time shares...I've smelled similar sewage scents in both Hawaiian islands I've been to and came back far more broke than I have from Cabo...There are hookers in every major city in America, minor ones for that matter...and dirt, when was the last time you've been in Times Square...Mexico is a third world country for gods sake, what are you expecting?...
The Captain is a moron...